Something you will realize if you have boated on open waters is that there are not any speed limit signs. Of course, you want to know what the safe speed to go at is.
If you are unsure what the safest speed to be moving at is, you can very easily cause an accident.
Because of this, we have put this guide together to ensure that you know everything you need to when it comes to working out the perfect speed for your boat.
So, if you are a boater and you do not know what speed you should be moving at, this guide will give you all the information you need!
Internal Factors To Consider
The first main section we want to go over when it comes to working out the correct speed to be moving at are the internal factors that you need to keep in mind.
There are quite a few of these, however, they do not change, so they are easy to remember!
Engine Size
The main consideration you want to be making is the size of your engine as this will dictate how fast you can actually go. The more powerful, the faster you will be able to go.
Different engines are designed for different weights of the boat, but this should be easy to work out when you hit the throttle. If you want to know how to speed up the boat quicker, the motor is what you should be thinking about.
Boat Or Hull Type
Your boat or hull type directly impacts how fast or slow you are in the water. The shape of your hull is what is cutting through the waves, and this is what reduces the drag on the boat.
If your boat has a more flat or wide hull, these will not be able to move through the water as fast and they will generally move slower, so keep this in mind!
Size Or Weight Of The Boat
This is quite simple, but of course the heavier the load, the more force you will need to be able to go forward, so if your boat and its cargo are heavy, it will simply not move as fast.
Also, the bigger a boat is, the more it will struggle to stop quickly. These are also harder to navigate when working around obstacles as well.
Type Of Propeller
A final consideration to make it the type of propeller as these will impact the speed your boat will be able to move at.
You want to research how the diameter, the orientation, the pitch, and the fin number of your propeller will impact the speeds your boat can travel at.
External Factors To Consider
Now, the external factors will require a little more attention since these are what change and you will need to be staying aware of. These are more dynamic, so knowing how to adjust the speed of your boat to them is important!
Boat Traffic Density
Just like on the road, there can be traffic jams on the water too, and these of course, will impact the speed you are able to move at and this should be kept in mind.
You will struggle to be able to anticipate how other boaters will move, and this tends to only come with experience.
Because of this, you will need to reduce your boat when you are surrounded by other boats since this will directly affect how easily you are able to move. It is also a lot easier to maneuver in the water when you are moving at a slower speed.
Weather
The weather can obviously affect the condition of the water in many ways, and all of these will impact the speed you are able to move at.
For example, if there are choppy waters, heavy rain, or a thick fog that is obscuring your vision, then you should reduce your speed to be able to adapt to these conditions.
The bouncing you can get from boating fast in rough conditions can be very dangerous, so make sure to keep this in mind when you are boating!
Water Depth
If the water is not deep enough there is a chance that you can run aground when boating at a higher speed, because of this, you want to keep to a slower speed when you are in more shallow water.
You want to avoid getting your boat stuck in shallow waters since this can damage your vessel and it can be very difficult to fix, especially without multiple people!
Safety Precautions
As you can tell from reading through the previous sections, there are multiple safety concerns you want to keep in mind when it comes to boating, but there are some we have not covered in detail.
For example, you want to avoid stopping to navigate when you are on the open waters.
You want to keep your common sense when you are boating, and keep your speed low if you are in more uncertain situations as if you are moving at a higher speed, you will simply struggle to be able to react to the scenarios when you are moving faster.
Your common sense when boating will also develop the more experience you have, so if you are less experienced, we strongly suggest boating with someone who is so you can learn from their experience and avoid mistakes.
Mistakes with judging speed when boating are not only dangerous, but can also be expensive to fix too!
Summary
Hopefully this guide has given you all the information you need on how to determine the perfect speed to be travelling at with your boat.
You want to make sure to be mindful of both the internal and the external factors when using your boat, as well as thinking of the safety precautions listed as well. If you do all this, you should have no trouble working out the correct speed!
